string slap

[B-DOG]

i have been having the worst time latley with the string on my longbow hitting my shirt sleaves. i shot most of the time since i got my tomahawk in the evening with no shirt(i was a sight to behold) but now even with short sleaves they seam to catch sometimes. anyone else have this problem? i guess i'll have to get some smaller and tighter shirts. i use an arm guard but this is up around the sholder. anyone use something to help this?

[GrayRhino]

Have you tried opening your stance?  Draw an imaginary line from your target to where you stand.  If you are right handed, the front of your left foot shoot be on that line, and the heel of your right foot should be on it.  This will force you to turn your right shoulder in, and will provide more space between your left side chest, shoulder, arm, etc.

I wear a long armguard (11.5") to also keep bulky sleeves out of the way.

[Archie]

B-Dog,
I had the same problem.  I shot all summer in a T-shirt, but when the cool weather clothes came on, my accuracy fell apart -- due to string slap on my shoulder/chest/arm.  I wanted to use my ghillie-type camo and knew I in trouble.

So, I bought a camo YOUTH large fleece zip-up sweatshirt (I wear a men's large) on clearance for $8.  Then I cut off the right arm neatly like a vest, then did the same with the left arm -- except I left a 4-inch wide strip of the arm that goes all the way from shoulder to the wristband, and left the wristband on.  So, instead of a left sleeve, there's just a strip of fabric that covers the part of my arm where my clothing gets in the way, the full length of my left arm.

I use a short armguard, and when I put it on (pretty snug), I pull that sleeve-strip under it so that when I stretch my left arm out to shoot, it pulls that strip tight and even stretches a bit.  This, combined with the tightness of the makeshift vest, pulls all of my clothes out of the way when I draw.  It works perfect for me.  I did it this way so that I could get as much benefit out of my ghillie suit as possible.  (By the way, I had a buck at 30 yards last week [shot and missed, standing on the ground] and after I shot, he looked right at me and walked around, trying to make me out, but couldn't.  I was standing in the open.)

I haven't tried it with heavy winter clothes yet,  but if the vest is too small, I'll make a new one that is big enough to go over a larger jacket.

[Mudd]

Archie Would you mind getting someone to take a picture with it on and then another of just the ghillie guard? Thanks in advance!
God bless,Mudd

[ALW]

Always keep a pocket full of rubber bands with you.  I usually have 8 or 10 of them around my left arm (right handed) when I'm hunting and they do a nice job of keeping my clothing out of the strings way.  Also as mentioned before, try opening your stance up.  It helped me but I still catch my sleeve once in a while.  That's why I use the rubber bands.

Aaron

[Archie]

I've got a picture.  Can't figure out how to post it in here, though.  I'm new to this...

[joelondon]

One thing I started using to hold all the sleeve etc in up near the bicep etc is cycling arm warmers, they are stretch fabric that fits snug.

It's a UK site, but this is what I mean

 http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/id28449.html

hope this helps maybe

joe

[Archie]

[John Nail]

Cant/kant your bow a little more. Get your eye over the arrow by "getting into" it. See the picture on the left left.
Also--if you have shot this bow a lot and not had this problem before, you probably need to take a deeper grip with the string hand. When strength is built up, folks have a tendancy to get out on the fingertips too much.